Hand-tool.



W. A. BERNARD.

HAND TOOL.

APPLICATIQN FILED APR. 18. 1914.

1 177,594. Patented Apr. 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Iii [Fl 5%! ATTORNEY.

W. A. BERNARD.

HAND TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED APR-18, 1914.

1,177,594, Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR.

B W ATTORNEY.

UNITED; STATES PATENT oF ICE.

NECTICUT.

. WILLIAM A. BERNARD, or NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE ILL AM SCHOLLHORN COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- HAND-TOOL.

1/ 0 all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM A. BERNARD,

a Citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ,in Hand-Tools, of which the following. is a full, clear, and exact description. 7 This invention relates to hand punches and similar tools of that type in which the device is operated to stamp or punch metal blanks and the like by manipulation of one or more lever members or handles with which the tool is equipped.

I shall describe my-improvements as applied to a hand tool particularly designed for punching holes in sheet metal, but it will be apparent from the followingdescription that certain, features of the invention are applicable to tools and devices of other types.

In an application filed April I, 191 1, Serial No. 829,671, I havedescribed a hand tool having improved means for operating or hands.

one of the movable parts of the tool by a lever handle or handles in such a manner that a very large amount of power'is developed by the tool with the expenditure of very little energy on the part of the operator.

The tool selected for illustration in the above mentioned application is particularly intended for embossing sheet metal strips One of the objects of the present inventionis the provision of certain improvements in the means for operating the movable part or plunger of the tool, and more particularly of the means for connecting the handles or lever members with the plunger.

The invention also has in view the provision of an improved form of head or support for a punch of the lever handle type,

and the provision of improved means for mounting a die plate, or the like, relatively to the head and to the'punch.

It is also aimed to furnish an improved form of die plate mounting, whereby the die plate may be accurately centered with respect to the punch, and to improve the general construction and operation of devices of the'class to which my invention relates.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4;, 1916.

7 To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is afront elevation of a sheet metal punch constructed in accordance withmy invention, with the lever handles separated to a certain extent, and the movable member of V the punch mechanism retracted from the fixed member or die plate. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the tool taken from the opposite side, with the handles closed together. Fig. 3 is an edge view of Fig. 1 looking from the right. Fig. dis an edge view of Fig. 2 looking from the right. Fig. 5 is a top. view of Fig. 1, with certain parts omitted. Fig. 6 is a section on the irregular line 66 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on line 7-7 oflFig. 1. Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a detail of the plunger carrying the punch. Fig. 10con1p1 ises a side view and a bottom view of the die plate; and Fig. '11 is a detail of one of the distance pieces for supporting the die plate, before the ends are riveted or upset.

slide or plunger is guided between the plates;

21, 22, and the punch 25 cooperates with a die plate 26. This die plate 26 is located in the upper part of the notch or'recess 23, and is supported against those edges of the plates 21, 22 which define the upper bound ary of said notch Or recess. In the form.

shown, the die plate 26 is secured to distance pieces 2'7, 28 interconnecting the plates 21, 22, above the notch 23. These distance pieces are shapedas blocks set in between the plates 21, 22 and having studs 30. (Fig. 1.1) 7 extending through correspondingly Referring to the drawings, 20 indicates.

formed openings in therespective plates,

which studs are then upset against the respective side plates of the head to form the rivet heads 31. The die plate 26 is secured to the body portions of the respective distance pieces 27, 28, by means of screws 32, V

which pass downward through openings 33 in the distance pieces and engage threaded sockets 34 in the die plate. This arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 8 wherein the reference character 35 denotes the die opening in the die plate. The openingse 33 in the distance pieces are appreciably larger than the shanks of the respective screws 32, so that before the die plate 26 is tightly clamped in position against the respective edges of the plates 21, 22, it may be adjusted laterally in any direction to bring the die opening 35 into exact alinement with the punch 25. In other words, the die plate or abutment is adjustable in any direction in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the sliding member or plunger.

The plunger 24 is guided between the plates 21, 22 by means of bolts 36, 37, substantially as shown and described in my earlier application, which bolts interconnect the plates 21 and 22 and pass through a longitudinal slot 38 in the plunger. The bolt 36 is located near one end of the slot 38, and the bolt 37 is located near the other end of said slot. The slot 38 is slightly longer than the outside measurement from one of the bolt shanks to the other, so that the plunger can have a limited lengthwise movement. The bolt '36 limits the movement of the plunger in the direction of the die plate, and the bolt 37 limits the movement of the plunger away from the die plate. The plunger 24 extends rearwardly or downwardly beyond the plates 21 and 22 of the head 20, and at its rearwardly projecting portion it is provided with a perforation or opening 39, providing a bearing for a pivot 40, illustrated as a bolt, having a screw head 41 and a nut 42. The bolt pivots the plunger at its rear end to the forward extremities of operating handles or levers 43, 44. These levers are preferably bent up from sheet metal into substantially U- shaped cross-section, and at their forward ends they are suitably cut away to receive the rear extremity of the plunger, which is straddled thereby. The lever 44 has its front fork-shaped end bent out laterally, as shown at 45, in order to straddle the forked end of the lever 33. Hence, each of the plate portions forming a part of the fork 45 confines between it and the adjacent side face of the plunger a side plate or branch of the fork of lever 43, and the plunger and lever handles may be securely pivoted together by the single bolt 40 passing through the opening 39 in the plunger, and through registering openings in the forked portions of the leverhandles. 1 Pins 46interconnecting the plates 21, 22 at the respective sides of the plunger 24 form pivots for links 47 pivoted between the plates 21, 22. Each pin 46 extends through the forward or upper end of the corresponding link 47, and the rear end of such link is pivoted to one of the lever handles 43, 44 by a pin 48 at a point between the pivot bolt 40 and the opposite extremity of the handle. By the construction described both lever handles are pivoted at their forward extremities to the plunger at a point in the longitudinal axis of the plunger, by a single pivot memher, and the lever handles are pivoted intermediate of their ends to the rear ends of the respective links 47, which links 47 are in turn pivoted to the head 20 on opposite sides of the path of movement of the plunger.

It has been previously explained that the side plates 21, 22 are interconnected by the distance pieces 27, 28, the bolts 36, 37, and the pins 46. These fastening members for the plates are all located, however, at that side of the head in which the plunger and die plate are mounted, and for the purpose of securely fastening together the side plates at the other side of the head and of holding them in the properly spaced parallel relation, I employ additional securing members. In the form shown, these additional securing members are constituted by pins 49, passing through sleeves 50 set in between the plates and spacing them apart at the proper distance. The ends of the pins 49 are upset against the plates so as to form rivet heads 51, whereby the parts are rigidly fastened together.

I prefer to use a gage in connection with the notch 23 to regulate the extent to which the metal blanks are inserted into the notch. In the form shown, a gage plate 52 is adjustably secured to the plate 21 by a set screw 53, passing through a slot 54 in said plate, and a lateral extension 55 on the plate passes into the notch 23. By sliding the gage 52 lengthwise and clamping it in the desired position relative to the graduations 56, the device may be set in an obvious manner to punch the sheet metal at the desired distance from the edge of the metal plate or blank, as will be understood. 3

The operation of the tool will be understood for the most part from the foregoing description. The lever handles 43, 44 being separated to a sufiicient extent, the plate to be punched is inserted in the notch 23 so that'its edge abuts the lateral portion or finger 55 of the gage which has been previously set in the proper position relative to the graduations 56. As the lever handles are forced together, they swing about the pivots 48. whereby the pivot 40 is moved forwardly, thereby forcing the plunger forwardly and causing the punch 25 to forming with its connecting link 47 a sort of toggle. The movement of the plunger is greatly retarded relative to the movement of the handles as the-pivotal points 48 almost reach a plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the plunger, and the power developed is thereby multiplied to a remarkable degree.- In fact, thepower developed is so great that a large hole may be punched in a hard steel sheet of considerable thickness with the expenditure of very little energy on the part of the operator.

'In assembling the parts of the tool, the die may be very accurately centered relative to the punch by causing the punch to pass into the die opening while the die plate is loosely held in place by screws Then, while the die Opening is held in accurate a-linement' with the punch, the screws 32 are tightened up to support the die plate rigidly ;trom the distance pieces 27, 28, against the edges of the plates 21, 22. In this way, the punch and die may be very accurately centered. Moreover, the mounting of the die plate in the manner described gives the tool unusual strength to resist distortion of the head. This is due to the fact that the strain imparted to the die plate during the punching of the metal is transmitted to the plates 21, 22 in an edgewise direction relative to said plates.

Of course, the device is not limited in its utility to the punching of holes in sheet metal, or like material. The plunger 2% may be readily removed from the tool by taking out the bolts 36, 37 and 40. When these bolts are removed. and the lever handles are separated, the plunger may be readily pulled out through the opening bet-ween the lever handles and another plunger may be substituted in an obvious manner. In the same way, the abutment plate 26 can be removed for the substitution of another abutment plate. The plunger and abutment plate will of course have their working surfaces shaped to corres ond with the kind of work to be done. It is not essential of course that the plunger carry the projectina part, and that the abutment plate be provided with a die, or other opening, as a reverse arrangement of the parts may ob viouslv be adopted if desired. 7

Various changes in the d tails of the construction may be adopted without digres ing from the scope of myinvention asdefined in the claims. In the broad aspects of the invention. it is not essential that the head of t e tool consist me e y of the side plates and their connecting devices because the side plates may be more or less extensive, as

sired.

lVhat I claim is i 1. A hand tool, comprising a head includ ing spaced parallel plates having registering cut-away portions forming a notch entering the head from one side, an abutment plate at one side of the notch bridging said plates and bearing on the same in an edgewise direction relatively to said plates, means for detachablyclamping said abutment plate on the edges of the head plates, a plunger guided between said head plates at the other side of said notch and adapted to cooperate with said abutment plate, actuating levers for said plunger pivoted to the rear portion of the latter, and links pivoted to the head on opposite sides of the plunger and pivoted to said levers intermediate of the ends of the latter; substantially as described.

2. A hand tool, comprising a head including spaced parallel plates having registering cut-away portions at their edges forming a notch at one side of the head, an abutment plate located at the upper part of said notch and bridgingsaid plates so as to bear on the same edge-wise of said plates, means for clamping said abutment plate against the edges of said head plates, said means adjustable to fix said abutment plate in any of a number of positions laterally of thehead, a plunger guided between the head plates at the lower side of said notch and adapted to cooperate with said abutment plate, and operating levers for said plunger connected therewith, and. supported from said head; substantially as described.

A hand tool, comprising a head includ ing spaced parallel plates, an abutment plate bridging said plates and bearing thereonin an edgewise direction relatively to the latter, supporting means for said abutment-plate fixed relatively to said head, said supporting means having an opening therethrough, a screw for clamping said-abutment plate on the edges of said head plates passing through the opening in said supporting means with a certain amount of clearance so that the abutment plate may be adjusted laterally, a plunger carried by said head for cooperating with said abutment plate, and means for operating said plunger; substantially as described.v

4. In a hand tool, the combination of a head comprising parallel plates, said plates having registering cutaway portions forming a notch at one edge of the head, a plunger movable lengthwise between said plates at one side of said notch and having a longitudinal slot, a device for fastening the plates together extending through said slot for guiding the plunger, an abutment bridging the plates at the opposite side of the notch and adapted to cooperate with-said plunger,

operating levers pivoted to the rear end portion of the plunger, and links pivoted between said Plates at opposite sides respectively of said plunger, and likewise pivoted to said operating levers; substantially as described.

5. A hand tool comprising a head including spaced parallel plates, said head having a notch at one side, an abutment at one side of the notch, a plunger guided in said head between said plates at the opposite side of the notch, and cooperating with said abutment, actuating levers for said plunger, means supported by the head for pivoting said actuating levers intermediate of the ends of the respective levers, one of said levers having a forked end straddling one end of the plunger, the other lever having a forked end straddling the first-named forked end and the plunger, and a single-detachable member passing through said forked ends, and pivoting the levers to the plunger; substantially as described.

6. In a hand tool, a head comprising spaced parallel plates having cut-away portions at their edges creating a notch extending into the head, an abutment member bridging said plates at one side of said notch, supporting members for said abutment member fixed relatively to said head and each having an opening therethrough, clamping screws passing through the openings of the respective supporting members and into said abutment for clamping the same in position, a plunger carried by the head to cooperate with said abutment, and means for operating the plunger; substantially as described.

7. In a hand tool, a head comprising i spaced parallel plates having registering cutaway portions presenting a notch, a sliding member guided between said plates at one side. of said notch, a pair of operating levers carried by the head, and connected with said sliding member, and an abutment bridging the plates at the opposite side of the notch and adjustable in any direction in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the sliding member; substantially as described.

8. In a hand tool, the combination of a head, a plunger guided thereby, an abutment plate carried by the head to cotiperate with the plunger, and means for securing the abutment plate adjustably to the head to permit adjustment of said plate relative to said plunger; substantially as described.

9. In a hand tool, the combination of a head, a plunger guided thereby and carry ing a punch, a die plate to cooperate with the punch, and means for mounting the die plate on the head so that it is laterally adjustable in any direction relative to the punch; substantially as described.

10. In a hand tool, a head comprising r spaced parallel plates, a distance piece for said plates, and a work support secured to said distance piece; substantially as described.

11. In a hand tool, the combination of a head including spaced parallel plates having registering cut-away portions presentinga notch in the head, a distance piece connecting the plates, an abutment plate in said notch, and means for securing said abutment plate to said distance piece; substantially as described.

12. In a hand tool, the combination of a head including spaced parallel plates having registering cutaway portions presenting a notch in the head, a distance piece connecting the plates, an abutment plate in said notch, and means for securing said abutment plate to said distance piece and permitting lateral adjustment of the abutment plate relative to said distance piece; substantially as described.

1-3. In a hand tool, the combination'of a head including spaced parallel plates, said plates being cut away to form a notch in the head, a distance piece connecting the plates, an abutment plate bridging the plates within the notch, and a fastening screw for the abutment plate passing through the distance piece with a certain amount of clearance; substantially as described.

14. In a hand tool, a head including spaced parallel plates cut away at their edges to present a notch extending into the head, a die plate bridging said head plates within the notch at one side of said notch, supporting members for said die plate rigidly fixed to the head adjacent to said notch and each having an opening extending therethrough, clamping screws for securing said die plate on the edges of the head plates, passing through the openings of the respective supporting members with clearance in all directions so that the die plate maybe adjusted laterally in any direction relatively to the head, a punch-carrying plunger for cooperating with said die plate guided between said head plates at the other side of the notch, and means for operating said plunger; substantially as described.

15. In a hand tool, the combination of a head including spaced parallel plates, said head having a notch entering the same from one side edge, a plunger housed between the plates at one side of said notch, means for operating said plunger, a work support at the opposite side of said notch to cooperate with said plunger, said work support bearing on said plates in an edgewise direction relative to the latter, and means located be tween said plates for securing saidwork support to said head; substantially as described.

16. A hand tool, comprising a head in cluding spaced parallel plates, a plunger housed between said plates, and an abutment to cooperate with Said plunger bearing on said lates edgewise of the latter, and adadjustable in any direction relative to the justa le laterally with respect to said plunplunger; substantially as described. 1 ger; substantially as described. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 17. In a hand tool, the combination of a my hand on the 17th day of April, 1914. head, a plunger guided lengthwise in said WILLIAM A. BERNARD.

head, means for operating said plunger, and Witnesses: an abutment plate to cooperate with said HENRY E. ROCKWELL, plunger, mounted on the head and laterally M. OLIVE WILLIAMS.

, Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

